Building a Composite Bamboo Bicycle (Photo Gallery)

by daldrich@fibreglast.com

It takes some major ingenuity to produce a modern item with natural materials. That’s what BAMBOOBIKER did, and luckily, he documented how. On Instructables.com there is a great, step-by-step guide on how this composite bamboo bicycle was built.

This bicycle was built with bamboo, carbon tow, resin, and a lot miscellaneous small parts. The article on Instrucables.com describes the frame prep, how the joints were reinforced, and even how the bike rode after completion.

This is what the builder said after the first ride on the composite bamboo bicycle:

This one is SO MUCH LIGHTER than my first one. Probably about 2 pounds lighter. WAY LIGHTER in the front end with a lighter fork, and bars and stem. It feels so light in the front. Plus this bike actually fits me. I worked with a 54cm geometry last time and I typically ride a 56.

I took a trip to Rocky Hill in Exerter, about 13 miles east of me. Nice little grade, short but it’s a test ride. I wanted to see how it would climb, go through the gears and decend. It passed all tests with flying colors. It goes amazingly! It’s so nimble! Same smooth ride and I got out of the first frame, no creeks or cracks, or wobbles, or anything strange. I’m going to have the bike shop do a once over on everything before I get too crazy bombing down any hills, not that I’m nervous about the frame falling apart or breaking, just that it really is my first time hooking up all the components and I’ve seen what can happen if a crank arm falls off, or a brake falls off and gets stuck in the front wheel, or the fork and or handle bar pulls away from the bike!!! All bad stuff! Â But first impressions speak volumes! Ths bike has superceeded all my expectations.